Method of and apparatus for providing a spout-like discharge for a sealed package



A ril 14, 1970 c. LOU ET AL 3,505,778

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR'PROVIDING A SPOUT-LIKE DISCHARGE FOR A SEALED PACKAGE Original Filed July 13, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Char/es E 6/0062 Dona/41,567 ud 2/ BY 1 ATTORNEYS April14,1970 .E. LouDfETAL 3,505,778

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A SPOUT-LIKE DISCHARGE FOR A SEALED PACKAGE Original Filed July 13. 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 6' ar/e: E 670116? Dona/d5. CYOua ATTO RNEYS v 1970 c. E. CLOUD ET L' 3,505,778

Aprll 14 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A SPOUT-LIKE DISGHARGE'FOR A SEALED PACKAGE Original Filed July 1-3, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG-I5 "'9'. lNVENTORS 5 71111 11710111111111. Dona /d 5 C/OU d 'lllllll 0111/ BY /Gb" 2 Z; A; /3{ Helms/WM ATTORN S United States Patent METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A' SPOUT-LIKE DISCHARGE FOR A SEALED PACKAGE Charles E. Cloud and Donald E. Cloud, Wilmette, Ill., assignors to Cloud Machine Corporation, Skokie, lll., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 13, 1964, Ser. No. 382,016.

Divided and this application Dec. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 623,152

Int. Cl. B65b 51/30, 9/08 US. Cl. 53180 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A packaging apparatus including means for filling a series of open pockets with material to be packaged and means for sealing an open end of the filled pockets is characterized as comprising sealing means forming a series of pockets in strip-form packaging material and means for sealing together confronting sides of each pocket in areas contiguous to a bottom sealed edge in a manner to longitudinally reduce the pocket, thereby forming spout portions. This is a division of application Ser. No. 382,016, filed July 13, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a new and improved package having a pour spout for salt, sugar, pepper and the like. The present invention further relates to a machine and method for continuously forming filled packages from a continuous strip of flexible material. The material may be any flexible medium, such as a plastic, paper, cloth or metal strip, transparent or otherwise, or in fact, any material that will conform to the herein described requirements. If desired, the strip material may be plastic coated where the pockets are to be formed by a heat sealing operation.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved machine and method for high-speed production of filled packages each having a pouring spout.

' Further objects severally are, the method of making such filled packages from a strip or strips of material by a series of steps performed thereon, the method of forming pouring spouts along one margin of the material, then filling the same during the course of forming the packages and sealing the packages before the packages are severed fromqthe continuous strip.

Important features of the present invention relate to an improved apparatus for high-speed manufacture of filled packages from continuous strip material, which apparatus has means for forming pour spouts along one margin of the strip material and for perforating the one margin in a plane through the pour spouts to facilitate opening of the pour spouts. According to other features, the apparatus has means for filling the strip pockets with the desired amount of material such as salt or sugar following the formation of the spaced pockets with pour spouts along the length of the strip of material, and means for sealing open ends of the pockets and then severing the thus filled packages from the continuous strip of material.

It is still another object of this invention to provide new and improved filled packages of suitable material with each package having a pour spout to permit a more controlled pouring of the contents of the package.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide new and improved packages each having a pour spout at one sealed margin and with perforations disposed in a plane through the sealed area of the margin which plane intersects the pour spout.

ice

Further objects and advantages will appear from the detailed description and claims to follow, particularly in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate more or less diagrammatically, and by way of example and not of limitation, single and double strip type machines and apparatus for carrying out the new process and producing filled packages.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of our machine;

FIGURE 1A is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the filling station; 7

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a vertical heat sealer mechanism with portions shown in section as viewed on lines 11-11 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section through the vertical heat sealer mechanism as viewed on the lines III-]1I looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary edge view of the vertical heat sealer mechanism shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary edge view similar to FIGURE 4 of a modified vertical heat sealer mechanism;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary edge view similar to FIGURES 4 and 5 of another modified vertical heat sealer mechanism;

FIGURE 7 is a bottom view of perforating drive rolls;

FIGURE 8 is a side view of the toothed perforating roll shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of a machine similar to FIGURE 1 only one adapted to form filled packages from separate strips of stock;

FIGURE 10 is an enlargedfragmentary partially sectioned view taken substantially on the line X-X looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as seen in FIG- URE 9;

FIGURES 11, 12 and 13 illustrate side views of different types of filled bags or packages produced from the instant machine with different types of vertical heat sealer mechanisms shown in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6;

FIGURES 14, 15 and 16 are horizontal sections of the bags or pouches as taken on the lines XIV-X1V, XVXV and XVI-XVI in FIGURES 11, 12 and 13; and

FIGURE 17 is a perspective view of the bag or pouch shown in FIGURE 11 illustrating its manner of use.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION According to the first illustrated form of the invention, a filled package 9 of the type shown at FIGURE 11 is adapted to be produced by our packaging machine 10. The present machine has been found to be capable of producing hundreds of these packages per minute. The package 9 may be produced from a continuous strip of material or from several continuous strips of material, as shown in FIGURE 9. The type of machine used will depend upon the type of film to be used. Some films can be more readily folded than other films and machines of the type shown in FIGURE -1 can be readily used for producing filled packages of this type. Where other'types of films are employed, such as celluloid, which films cannot be readily folded, it may be desirable to use a modified type'of machine as shown in FIGURE 9. The machine of FIGURE 9 can also be used where the strips to be joined are formed from dissimilar materials such as a strip comprised of layers of paper and cellophane and a strip of cellophane. One strip of cellophane can be transparent and the other translucent.

The machine 10 has a base 11 supporting various components of our machine. Mounted on top of the base 11 is means comprising a roll stand 12 for supporting a roll or strip of packaging material 13. The roll 13 is supported on an arbor 14 in such a way that when the strip is unrolled, the strip is disposed generally in a horizontal plane. The strip 13 may be of any suitable type and can be coated on at least one side with a sealable material such as plastic or other suitable adhesive.

Mounted at one side of the roll stand and included as optional equipment, is a printing device 15. The strip 13 may be suitably printed by moving the same through the printing device 15.

A suitable paper plow 16, supported on a paper plow bracket 17, is disposed forwardly of the printer 15 for folding the strip 13. When the strip is folded at 13g, the fold is disposed at the bottom of the strip as the strip then assumes generally a V-shape.

In order to further prepare the strip 13 so that filled packages may be formed, a pair of guide rollers 18, 18 is disposed on the downstream side of the plow and the folded strip 13 is guided therebetween to a vertical sealer 19. The strip 13 is adapted to be pulled and moved through an arc as the vertical sealer is driven contemporaneously with the capstan and drive rolls 20. The vertical sealer has a series of vertically extending circumferentially spaced heated lands 19a which are provided to form longitudinally spaced vertically extending heat seals 13b in the strip. After the strip has been heat sealed in the manner described, pockets 130 are formed and each is disposed between a pair of pocket side walls 13d. The strip is then moved through a filling station 21 and any suitable material may be inserted in the pockets 13c in the desired amount. Each pocket may be filled with the desired amount of sugar or salt or a cracker or a slice of bread. Where material such as sugar is to be placed in the pockets, the pockets are filled in a pouring operation as illustrated. Where each pocket is to be filled with a cracker or the like, and a pouring operation is not necessary, the cracker can be inserted from a side of the strip into an open pocket. Thereafter, the strip is moved through a top heat sealer 22 which provides a horizontal heat seal 13s to close each pocket 13c.

The generally vertical strip is then turned so as to again move in a generally horizontal plane over an index roller 23. A pair of feed rollers (not shown) are positioned beneath the index roller 23 in vertical alignment with a fly knife mechanism 25. The rotation of the index roller 23 is synchronized with the fiy knife mechanism 25 so that the filled packages or pouches 9 are severed from the strip 13 at the areas of the heat seals 13b.

VERTICAL SEALER AND DRIVE ROLLS The vertical sealer 19 (FIGURE 2) is mounted on a hollow vertical shaft 27 supported on the base 11 by a bearing 28. A junction box support bracket 29 is suspended from an underside of the base 11 and carries a junction box 30 having brushes or sliding contacts 31 and 32 which are engaged with electrically insulated collector rings 33 and 34 carried by the hollow vertical shaft 27 and rotatable in unison therewith. Electrical lead lines 35 and 36 are joined with a heater 26 (FIGURE 2) which heats the vertical lands 19a for forming the spaced vertical seals 13!; in the folded strip 13 and also heats spout forming lands 19b for assisting in the formation of salt spouts 131 on the strip' 13. The spout forming lands 1% are rectangularly shaped and are secured to the vertical sealer by any suitable means such as screws 190 in such a manner that one side 19d is engaged against the vertical side seal forming land 19a while an opposite side 19a is spaced from an adjacent one of the opposite vertical side seals forming land 19a. The gap 19) serves to leave bottom areas of the strip 13 unsealed so that a spout 13f (FIGURE 11) may be formed. These bottom areas of the strip are closed by the fold extending along a bottom line of the strip 13.

Other types of spout forming lands 19b and 19b" can be mounted on a sealer by suitable means such as screws 19c and as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. The lands 19b and 1% are triangular. The triangular spout forming lands 19b have an inclined or diagonal edge 19c which coacts with a confronting vertical seal 119a on a drum 119 in the formation of spouts 13f on the packages 9'. The sealer 119 shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 can be used with strips 13 or 13' as is further described hereafter.

The spout forming lands 191;" (FIGURE 6) are used in the formation of the packages 9" shown in FIGURE 13. The land 19b has a pair of inclined or diagonal edges 19e19e" that intersect together at oneend and which have opposite ends that merge with bottom ends of the associated vertical lands 19a19a.

The lands 19b and 1% are differently mounted so that variable shaped spouts 13]" and 13f" can be formed as shown in FIGURES l2 and 13.

The selection of the desired shape of the illustrated spouts will be determined by the desires of the ultimate user. It will be appreciated that the spout 13] on the package 9 provides a uniform spout orifice no matter where the spout 13f is broken open. The spout 13 (FIGURE 12) provides a variable sized spout orifice, as the orifice size may be varied according to where the spout is torn open. The spouts 13f"13,f (FIGURE 13) are variable sized orifices.

As illustrated, the spout forming lands 1% (FIGURE 4) are preferably used with the folded type sheet 13 so that the fold can be employed as a closure for packages. The spout forming lands 1% can be employed with sheet material comprising the folded sheet 13 or a pair of sheets 1313, of the type shown in FIGURES 9 and 10*, in the formation of the packages 9" having the pour spouts 13f".

The spout 13 on the package 9 shown in FIGURES l1 and 14 is defined at one side by the end seal 13a, fold line 13g and one of a pair of side seals 13b13b. The fold line 13g provides an end closure for the spout 13 A line of perforations 13h is extended across the side seals 13b13b and across the end seal 13a in a plane passing through the spout 13] so that the perforations may be broken to open only a relatively small sized orifice defined by the spout 13 The package 9, shown in FIGURES 12 and 15 illustrates a modification. This package 9 has an end seal 13a, side seals 13b'13b', a pocket 13c, defined by side walls 13d13d, and an end or top seal 13a.

The spout 13f is defined at one side by the end seal 13a which extends the width of the package and is joined with the side seals 13b13b. In order to provide a variable sized orifice, the package further has an enlarged spout defining sealed area 131". This area, 13i, has a diagonal edge 13 that coacts with the end seal 13a and the side seal 13b as well as with side walls 13d13d' to provide the spout with a variable sized orifice. A line of perforations 13h is extended in a line across the side seals 13b13b" and the end seal 13a in a plane passing through the spout 13f so that the perforations may be broken to open a relatively small sized orifice defined by the spout 13f. The size of the spout orifice may be enlarged by tearing away additional portions of the spout.

In FIGURES l3 and 16, another modified package 9" is illustrated. This package includes an end seal 13a, side seals 13b"--13b", a pocket 13c" defined by'side walls 13d"13d", and an end or top seal 13e". This package differs over the packages previously described in that it is provided with a pair of spouts 13f" -13f". The end seal 13a" has a pair of converging edges 13j"13j" that coact with the side seals 13b"13b to define the spouts 13f"-13f" with variable sized orifices. A line of perforations 13h" is extended across the side seals 13b"13b" as well as across the diagonally edged end seal 13a" to enable one or more of the spouts to be readily opened. The size of the orifices defining the spouts can be varied by removing additional portions of either spout.

After the folded strip 13 is formed with vertical seals 13b, the strip is drawn between the drive rolls 20. The drive rolls 20 each have a vertical axis and are rotatably mounted on the base 11. A pivot arm 37 is joined at 38 (FIGURE 1) with one of the rolls 20 and has a pivot 39 at an opposite end. The arm 37 is further connected to a lever arm 40 which is joined to a spring 41. The spring 41 is attached to the base at 42. The spring 41 serves to hold the rolls against opposite sides of the strip 13. The one roller 20 can be pivoted away from the other roller on its pivot 39 to facilitate threading of the strip between the drive rolls. The spring insure that the drive rolls are snugly engaged with the strip to drive the same.

In order to perforate the strip 13 so that the packages 9 can be readily opened to provide access to the spout orifices, and according to features of this invention, one of the drive rolls 20, at its bottom side, has a series of teeth bearing segments 210 mounted thereon (FIGURES 7 and 8). In the illustrated form of this invention, four of these segments are mounted at the bottom side of the roll 20 in such a way that converging marginal edges 211 of the segments are disposed in spaced relationship so that spout areas of the spout strip can be left free of perforations. The outer ends of the teeth 212 extend outwardly about the outer surface of the drive roll 20 so as to be capable of piercing the strip 13 as the strip is moved from the vertical sealer 19 to the pouch filling station 21. The adjacent roll 20 is comprised of a suitable rubber material and acts as a back-up for the strip 13 as the perforating teeth 212 are caused to pierce the strip.

POUCH FILLING The filling station or drum 21 is keyed on a drive shaft 44 for rotating on a suction block or plate 45 disposed between the base 11 and the drum 21. The suction block 45 is affixed to the base and the drum 21 rotates on the block 45. The suction block has a C-shaped suction passage 45a and suction inlet pipe 46 is connected therewith.

Vertical suction passages 47 are joined with circumferentially spaced radial suction passages 48. The passages 47 and 48 are grouped in circumferentially spaced sets and lower ends of the vertical passages 47 are in alignment and communication with the C-shaped suction passage 45a in the suction block 45. I

As will be seen in FIGURE 1A, the drum 21 has vertically extending circumferentially spaced lands and valleys 49 and 50 about its perimeter. The valleys 50 may be of any desired shape such as arcuate or semisquare, and it is not absolutely essential that the strip contact the valley bottom when engaged about the drum 21. The circumferential distance between the lands is less than the distance between the vertical heat seals 13b when the strip 13 is engaged about the drum 21. In order to hold the strip 13 snugly against the drum 21 while the pockets 130 are opened and then filled, outer ends of radial suction passages 48 terminate at radially outer faces of the lands 49. The drum suction passages 47 and 48 are activated only when in communication with the C-shaped suction block passage 45a. When the drum suction passages are disconnected from the suction blockpassages 45a, the strip 13 is no longer positively secured with the drum 21.

Means is provided for corrugating the strip 13 and for snugly engaging the strip against the lands and valleys 49 and 50 of the filling station or drum 21 which, in the form shown in FIGURE 1A, comprises a bouncing roller assembly indicated generally at 51. The assembly 51 includes a roller 52 supported on a roller support arm 53 which arm is pivotally mounted at one end on a plate 54 secured to the base 11. A lever arm is operatively connected with the pivot arm at one end and with a spring 56 at an opposite end, the spring being anchored to the plate 54. The spring 56 exerts a force which tends to pull the lever arm toward the anchored end of the spring 56 thus causing the roller 52 to be urged against the perimeter of the drum 21. Immediately after the strip 13 is pressed against the drum 21, the block and drum suction passages are operatively connected so that the land against which the strip is engaged has suction at its outer surfaces for holding the strip in snug engagement with the drum.

Corotatably secured with the drum 21 by any suitable means such as bolts, is a funnel support plate 58. A series of funnels 59 are carried on the plate and the drum in unitary assembly. Lower ends of the funnels 59 overlie the strip pockets 130 for filling the same.

Before the funnels are supplied with material to bepoured into the strip pockets 130, means is operated to open the pockets 13c by spreading the radially outermost pocket side wall 13d from the radially innermost pocket side wall 13d. This means, in the form illustrated, may comprise an air spout or tube 60 which is connected with a suitable air supply source for causing an air stream to be directed against uppermost edges of the corrugated or flexed side walls 13d to spread them and open the pockets Position downstream of the air spout for unloading material into the funnels 59 after the air stream has been utilized to open the pockets 130, is a material supply or hoppers 59a and 61. The material supply or hopper 61 is fixedly supported on the base by hopper posts, not shown. It will be appreciated that other suitable means can be employed for filling the pockets 130.

In order to guide the strip 13 having the filled pockets 13c away from the filling station 21, a guide roller 63 is mounted adjacent to the station 21 and the strip is moved around this roller to the top heat sealer 22.

TO HEAT SEALER AND CUT-OFF MECHANISM The heat sealer 22, for closing the filled pockets 130, may be of any suitable type and is mounted at one side of the guide roller 63.

The index roller 23 is mounted on an index roller shaft 7 8' which is journalled at opposite ends on support arms or plates 79 and 80 (FIGURE 1). The arms 79 and 80 are pivotally mounted at one end at 81 and 82 on rock shaft 83 carried on hearing blocks 84 and 85.

An index roller adjustment mechanism 86 is provided for vertically moving the index roller with respect to the fly knife so that it will be properly aligned with the transverse heat seals 13b to cut the filled pockets from the strip at these areas. The mechanism 86 includes a U- shaped frame 87 having a vertical screw 88 secured on the frame 87 with a lower end engaged against the base 11. By moving the screw 88, the index roller 23 will be pivoted on pivot axis or rock shaft 83.

The index roller 23 has a series of teeth 23a about its perimeter which are spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the width of the filled pocket 130 on the strip to engage with the pocket and move the pocket in timed relation to the fly knife 25. A tension roll 89 is supported on an arm 90 carried on the plate 79 for applying tension to the strip 13 to hold the strip against the index roller 23. It will further be noted that after the strip 13 leaves the top sealer 22, it is moved to an essentially horizontal plane as the strip passes beneath the tension roll 89.

The feed rollers (not shown) are mounted on the base below the index roller 23 for drawing the strip from the index roller 23 and for guiding the strip to the fly knife 25. When the strip is properly aligned on the index roller 23, the knives will operate to cut or sever filled packages 9 from the strip 13. After the filled package is severed from the strip 13, the package will fall to a conveyor and the filled pouches can then be dumped into cartons for further packaging. If desired, the strip can be perforated to permit the user to separate the packages 9 from one another.

Our packaging machine 10 may be operated by any suitable means such as an electric motor through chains and sprockets and the like.

Shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 is a modified packaging apparatus or machine 10. The machine 10 differs from the machine 10 in that a pair of strips 13, 13 is fed into the machine between a pair of guide rollers 118, 118' over a vertical sealer 119. The vertical sealer 119 is identical to the vertical sealer 19 only sealing means is provided for forming pocket bottoms along a bottom edge of the strips 13. The machine 10 illustrated how a single strip 13 can be folded to form a pocket bottom. The machine 10 can be used with strip materials which have a tendency to crack when folded. Where a cellophane type of strip is used in our machine 10, there is a tendency for the lacquer to crack and after the packages are filled, the cracks may permit moisture or other material to enter the package. In order to sucessfully use certain types of strip materials such as cellophane, we have found that it is preferable to form the filled packages from a pair of strips rather than a single folded strip. The machine 10 illustrates how a pair of strips 13', 13' may be used in the formation of filled packages. This machine 10 could also be used with a single strip such as the strip 13 where it is desired to form a heat seal along the longitudinal folded area at one margin of the strip.

The circumfenentially spaced vertically extending lands 119'a on the vertical sealer 119' are joined at bottom ends with a circular land 119'b. The vertical sealer 119 operates in the same manner as the vertical sealer 19 which has been previously described herein. As the strips 13 are moved about the circumference of the vertical sealer 119', the strips are formed with transversely extending longitudinally spaced heat seals which correspond to the heat seals 13b, on the strip 13. In addition, the strips are formed with a longitudinally extending heat seal by the use of the circular land 1191;, which longitudinal seal extends along one edge of the thus joined strips 13 and forms the bottom of the pouches.

The other components for filling the pouches, formed by the machine 10', are identical to those already illustrated and described in connection with the machine 10 and further illustration and description of such components is believed unnecessary.

METHOD The steps of our improved method have already been described at length herein, but in order to summarize the previous description, the following statements are submitted.

In all forms of our invention, it is contemplated that filled packages 9 may be continuously formed from one or more continuous strips and that after the packages are formed and filled with any suitable material, the packages may then be served from the strip or strips. By manufacturing packages in this manner, the packages can be formed and filled at higher rates of production than has been attainable with prior types of machines and methods.

Before the strip is loaded with salt or the like, the bottom edges of the strip are formed with a closed spout and the strip 13 or 13' is then perforated to form means for opening the spout comprising perforations.

After the strip or strips have been formed with vertical heat seals, the strip or strips are corrugated whereby the vertical heat seals are caused to be moved closer together. All of the pocket side walls project inwardly into the valleys 50 from the same side of the strip or strips when the strip is in a corrugated condition. Thereafter, it is contemplated that the pocket side walls of each pocket be spread to open the pocket and then the pockets are filled with material. In accordance with our previous description herein, it will be appreciated that several methods may be employed for opening the pockets. The pockets may be blown open or mechanically pulled open, as desired, and depending upon the type of material of which the strip is comprised. In the illustrated embodiment, the open ends of the pockets are then sealed shut and the filled pouches may be cut or performated at the area of the transverse heat seal to permit ready severance of the filled pouches from the continuous strip or strips.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim: 1. In a packaging apparatus having means for filling a series of open pockets with a material to be packaged and means for sealing an open end of the filled pockets, means forming a series of pockets with spout portions therein comprising:

means supplying continuous strip-form packaging material having at least one heatable scalable side;

means forming the packaging material into an upwardly opening trough having a pair of confronting sides joined at bottom edge portions thereof;

rotatable sealing means having the formed packaging material trained therearound and including peripherally spaced sealing lands engaging one side of the formed strip for forming a series of spaced, vertical heat seals transversely of the strip and spout forming lands interposed between adjacent ones of said spaced sealing lands and engaging a side of the formed strip for sealing a portion of the confronting sides in an area substantially contiguous with the joined bottom edges of the sides to longitudinally reduce the pockets and form spout-like portions; and

means carried by said sealing means for heating said spaced lands and said spout forming lands.

2. In a packaging apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by:

said supplying means supplying a pair of parallel confronting strips with at least confronting sides thereof being heat scalable, and

said forming means including a circumferential sealing land extending around a lower portion of said rotatable sealing means for sealing the pair of strips together along bottom edges thereof to join the strips into a trough-like configuration.

3. In a packaging apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further characterized by said forming means including meanslongitudinally folding a single strip of packaging material to form a pair of confronting sides joined at bottom edge portions thereof by a fold.

4. In a packaging machine as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by perforating means engaging the formed and sealed strip'and perforating the spoutformin'g sealed areas along a plane intersecting the spoutlike portions of the strip.

5. In a packaging machine as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by:

perforating means including a pair of adjacent, vertically disposed rolls having the formed and sealed strip passing therebetween and drivingly engaged thereby, one of said pair of rolls having teeth bearing segments therearound and arranged to perforate sealed areas of thestrip along a plane intersecting the spout-like portions and another of said pair of rolls forming a resilient backing for the perforating. teeth.

6. In a packaging machine as defined in claim 5 and further characterized by said teeth bearing segments being peripherally arranged in spaced relationship around said one roll in a manner to leave the spout-like portions formed on the strip free from perforations.

7. In a packaging apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said spout-forming lands each having a triangular face surface contacting the strip and forming an edge slanting downwardly from an associated one of said vertical lands and intersecting a circumferential line on said sealing means defined by engagement of the joined bottom edge of the strip with said sealing means at a point between said associated one of said vertical lands and an adjacent one of said vertical lands to form tapered spout-like portions.

8. In a packaging machine as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said spout forming lands each having a triangularly shaped surface contacting the strip and forming a pair of converging end portions with each edge portion slanting downwardly and outwardly from an apex and intersecting opposite ones of adjacent pairs of said vertical lands at points thereon defined by a circumferential line corresponding to a line of engagement of the joined bottomedges of the strip with said sealing means, thereby to form a pair or spaced, tapered spout portions between adjacent, transverse seals at a lower end portion of the strip.

9. In a packaging apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said spout forming lands each having a rectangular face surface contacting the strip and forming a first edge extending substantially at right angles from one of said vertical lands and a second edge spaced from and adjacent one of said vertical seals extending downwardly at substantially right angles from a terminal end of said first land, and intersecting a circumferential line defined by engagement of the joined bottom edge of the strip with said sealing means to form spout-like portions having parallel side end edges and disposed between adjacent ones of the spaced, transverse seals.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner 20 E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl, X.R, 53-28 

